"The FBI has recognized since 1971 that there is a link between animal abuse and future violent behavior," said Urban, co-chairwoman of the legislative Select Committee on Children.

"This bill was formed to catch that link so that we might possibly step in before a child is abused or there is domestic violence in the home by recognizing if there is animal abuse in the home there is a red flag for future violent behavior there," said Urban, who believes that many animal-cruelty cases are discounted during plea-bargaining in court.

"Definitely, when you look at animal cruelty you can see the overlap," said Tracy Coppola, policy associate for the American Humane Association.

"There have also been studies of children who are prone to being more desensitized to abuse than those who do not witness domestic violence or animal abuse," Coppola said. "They are more prone to commit anti-social acts."

Lila Elmished of the center for youth leadership at the high school said the link between animal abuse and human cruelty is important and "touches on social justice and decency and affects the emotional and physical well-being of people and animals."

The group is lobbying for the creation of an animal-abuse registry and a policy of national criminal background checks by animal shelters for those who wish to adopt pets.

Suzanne Adam, director of the YMCA's abuse program, said that every day it becomes more obvious that there are connections between animal abuse and other violence against kids and domestic partners.

"This link is important because it exposes the intentional nature of battery," Adam said. "In the straight-forward cases of animal abuse, the abuser is taking something out on the animal. In domestic violence, however, the abuser often uses the animal to hurt a particular person, usually the person who loves and cares for their pet."

Earlier this year, the bill failed in a late-session filibuster.

Rep. DebraLee Hovey, R-Monroe, ranking member of the children's committee, who attended the news conference and a subsequent forum Tuesday on the issue, said the issue of pet abuse and human cruelty is real.

"There's clear research that there's a link," Hovey said in an interview. "There is a distinct correlation between children who abuse animals early in their lives who become aggressive and can escalate into violence."

In 2007, the General Assembly approved a bill including pets in domestic protective orders.

"What we're saying is that if there is animal abuse and we need to be aware of it," Urban said. "I'm feeling very good about the bill for next session."